The critics have spoken and "Creed" is a hit! The film scheduled for release Nov. 25 reunites Ryan Coogler with Michael B. Jordan for another cinematic masterpiece.
Jordan, 28, takes the lead as Adonis Johnson, the son of boxing legend Apollo Creed. We also see Sylvester Stallone step back into the role of the former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa but this time he will be serving as trainer and mentor to the son of his late friend and former rival.
"Creed" is an emotional, funny, compelling and uplifting film that is full of strong performances and it definitely lives up to the expectation of its predecessors while forging its own unique path.
Johnson chatted with Latin Times about all things "Creed," detailing his extreme dieting and prep work to get in boxing shape. Working alongside Sylvester Stallone and being awed by his talent, exploring a different side of Philadelphia, forgoing a body double and much more. Check out the full interview below:
We’re sure you had to train hard but how tough was the workout regimine and diet to prepare for the role?
"There was no way I was walking around looking like that before I did this movie. Honestly it started with the diet. I completely changed my diet. I went down to eating every two and a half to three hours. Strip away all the sugar, cheese, dairy and pasta and bread and stuff like that and get down to protein like grilled chicken, steak or fish and brown rice. I had lots of brown rice and water [laugh]. The diet really sets the tone and then consistently working out. I worked out two to three times a day, six days a week. I boxed and lifted weights and it was really consistent for about 10 or 11 months and eventually your body will change."
Elaborating on how tough it was to commit to such a strict diet Jordan said "It’s Brutal! Half the time you’re eating you’re not even hungry. You don’t even wanna eat, you just know you have to put food in your body just to keep going. And you’re pretty antisocial because that’s your life. Your alarm goes off and you’re shoving food in your face and then you have to hit the gym. It’s definitely a process."
Were you a fan of the Rocky films before taking the role as Adonis?
"Yeah I was. The first 'Rocky' came out 40 years ago so I missed that train [laugh], but I was familiar with them. My favorite 'Rocky’s' are one, two and four and I seen them when I was in high school. Then I had the opportunity to fall in love with the 'Rocky' franchise all over again. Not to prepare for the role but to mentally check it out. You want to pay attention and soak up the world you’re going to step into. When I think of 'Rocky' I think of inspiration and an underdog. This guy who just will not quit. He relies on his friends and family to push him through any obstacle and to that next level. And I think that's super important."
How was it working alongside Sylvester Stallone in his legendary role as Rocky Balboa?
"It was amazing man. He is a really, really talented actor. Smart guy, very knowledgable and to see him transform from Sly the person to Rocky is pretty incredible to see. He’s so talented and he literally changes right before your eyes. They yell cut and he’s walking around like Sly again, telling jokes, very personable and then he goes into Rocky and he’s very shy and his vernacular isn’t as advanced and it’s definitely a testament to his talent for sure."
Creed explored a different part of Philadelphia that wasn’t shown in previous Rocky films. How was it exploring that?
"I’m from North New Jersey so it was cool [laugh]. I think it was interesting to see a familiar Philly in the world of Rocky. You know you tell the story through a different pair of eyes you get a totally different perspective of a city that everybody knows. It’s kind of similar to 'Friday Night Lights.' From seasons four to five we go from Dillon to East Dillon. East Dillon was always there, it was right across the tracks but we didn’t get a chance to see Vince Howard or all these other wonderful characters that lived over in that side but it was just as interesting of a world. I think that’s really cool to kind of blend these two sides of Philly that always coexisted but was never really shown together and I think that’s what you get when you watch ‘Creed.’"
Is it true you really went without a body double and took these punches yourself?
"Yep. 100 percent. You don’t workout for a year and a half, learn how to box, take those punches when sparring and training and then have somebody else go in and do the work for you. I like to be as hands on. And I’m super competitive so anything that’s a challenge especially on set or physically I have to step up. They would have to force me sit down and not do my own stuff [laugh]."
I love the way “Creed” played out in terms of its story. It definitely left it open for you to come back as Adonis. Is that something you’d be interested in?
"Oh yeah 110 percent. Something that we are already talking about and something I’d definitely be interested in doing."
What would you say to people who say “oh this is just another Rocky movie?”
"Go watch the movie. Thats what I would say. From first glance you could think it’s another ‘Rocky’ film but after watching the film people will understand it’s an origin story for a new character and we’ve been gracious enough and lucky enough to have Sly on screen passing the torch to a new generation."
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